GOOD Samaritans came to the aid of a young barman who was waylaid after being followed from work by a would-be robber, a court heard.

The victim became aware of a man walking behind him as he made his way from the Head of Steam, off North Road, Durham, across the city centre and up Claypath.

Durham Crown Court was told approaching The Woodman Inn, Ashley Baldwin drew level with the barman, telling him to empty his pockets and give him all the contents.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said when this was refused, Baldwin placed his arm round the barman’s neck, held him in a headlock and repeated his demands.

Although the now almost choking victim tried to shout for help, he was unable to, due to Baldwin’s tight grip round his throat.

The defendant began punching and kicking him and two passing student joggers tried to intervene, but Baldwin told them he was trying to recover a drug debt.

A female jogger told Baldwin she was about to phone for police and he told her to do so, carrying on the attack.

Mr Baker said it was only when a female resident in the area managed to pull the victim into her home, as the two students attempted to drag Baldwin away, that it came to a halt, but his parting shot was to shout death threats to those involved.

Baldwin fled on foot and was later approached by police in the city centre, but gave false personal details, before he was finally apprehended by two officers, following a struggle.

The 20-year-old defendant, of no fixed abode, recently admitted attempted robbery and two counts of obstructing a police constable in the execution of duty.

Sentence was adjourned to allow for a victim statement to be prepared by the barman, who suffered grazes and swellings to his face and chin, multiple bruises, stiffness to his neck and pain to his jaw.

He said he feared the worst when he was brought to the ground by Baldwin and was grateful for the assistance of the students and householder who came to his aid.

Mr Baker said he also now takes a different route home from work.

Andrew Teate, mitigating, said the defendant, originally from Dover in Kent, worked as an itinerant live-in chef.

But, after finding himself out of work, last year, he went off the rails and began drinking heavily, committing a series of mostly low-level offences, which reached the depths with his actions in Durham that early evening, on October 11.

He has since sought assistance to wean himself off alcohol, and, on release from prison, intends to return to Kent to, “make better of his life.”

Jailing him for three years, Judge Simon Hickey told Baldwin it was, “a sustained and unprovoked attack on a totally innocent stranger."